Laura Csortan Puckers Up for Bright Pink Lipstick Day

Grab your lippies ladies. Only your brightest hue will do. A slash of vibrant colour on your pout and you’re selfie-ready for Bright Pink Lipstick Day (September 20).

Former Miss Australia-turned-TV-presenter and media personality, Laura Csortan, 36, will be donning the ‘brightest, most obnoxious shade of lippie’ she can find to support Pink Hope, to raise awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Laura chats to SheSaid about why she’ll be supporting Bright Pink Lipstick Day, her new role as Sydney Racing Ambassador for Australian Turf Club and she shares some of her beauty and style secrets.

Why are you supporting Bright Pink Lipstick Day? 

Bright Pink Lipstick Day is a fantastic initiative to get your girlfriends together and have a bit of fun wearing your bright lippie to highlight an issue – hereditary cancer. It is at the forefront of our friends, family and society in general.

Will you be puckering up with bright pink lippie? What shade will you be wearing? 

Absolutely! I’ll probably have it all over my teeth too but I’ll give it my best shot! I don’t have a signature pink shade but I will be on the lookout for something bright and obnoxious! It will certainly get the message across.

Is your partner Chris [Joannou, Silverchair bass player] a fan of bright lippie or does he prefer more of a natural gloss on you? 

He prefers no makeup at all so bright pink lipstick will scare the bejesus out of him.

How has Pink Hope founder Krystal Barter inspired you? 

Cancer is an issue that touches everyone. We all have someone we know or someone close to us who has been touched by cancer. I’ve got a few girlfriends directly affected by breast cancer and this particular strain – BRCA1 – so for Krystal to start Pink Hope after having a preventative double mastectomy herself and about to undergo ovarian preventative surgery next year – it really highlights the fact we need to look at prevention rather than a cure. Having someone who is not afraid to get up and talk about it, takes the mystery out of it.

Angelina Jolie’s decision to go public about her preventative double mastectomy brought incredible attention to the reality of hereditary cancer.   

Angelina going public was incredible for Pink Hope. The charity experienced a 700% increase in families reaching out to them, which is why they need additional funding. The more high profile people coming out and speaking about their experience is just what we need.

Has hereditary cancer touched your life?

Thankfully my family and I have not been directly affected. But I certainly keep on top of my regular check-ups. I am very aware.

As Sydney Racing Ambassador for Australian Turf Club, what’s the one fashion faux pas that irks you the most at the track? 

There are a few! I like to think of racing as a classic, classy event. Tight frocks, boob tubes and clunky shoes are not racing attire. I like to think ladies should follow some of the dress guidelines.

Describe your style in a word?

Effortless.

First serious fashion splurge?   

A crème Prada handbag. I love it and still use it, rarely, because it’s crème and I’m scared of marking it!

A fad you wish you never followed? 

I did live through the 80s. I did get stuck into the ra-ra and bubble skirts.

One clothing item you can’t live without? 

My black leather pants.

Fashion tip your mother taught you? 

Never wear anything too tight. God love her, she’s still right.

Whose wardrobe would you most like to raid? 

Cameron Diaz. She always look fab. I like her bubbly but stylish personality.

What’s the most worn thing in your wardrobe?

I like strong basics. I have a beautifully cut Helmut Lang blazer that I wear to death.

Who is your style icon? 

Elle Macpherson. I love the way she frocks up.

What would someone learn about you from looking inside your wardrobe?

I’m not big on colour. I’m very much a black, white, navy kind of gal.

What do you wish you had the nerve to wear?

Sometimes I have the urge to go a bit grunge but I don’t know how to pull it off without looking like a dag. Some people make it look so good and I put it on and I look like I need to go back home and clean the house.

What are your beauty bag essentials? 

I can’t go anywhere without my Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream for my lips. Especially when travelling. I have a Clinique bronzer that works a treat all over – my décolletage and face etc. I love black eyeliner too.

What foundation do you wear?  

I’m wearing a great Elizabeth Arden one at the moment.

Favourite skincare products? 

I fluctuate all the time. I will use a commercial brand like Clinique and then mix it up with a plant-based product with no additives.

Favourite salon beauty treatment?

An all-over body massage. You come out feeling completely rested and revived.

Biggest beauty blunder?

Plucking my eyebrows until there was barely anything left. With bushy eyebrows back in, I am thankful they grew back.

Best beauty tip you’ve picked up? 

With all the travelling I do, I have a Vitamin-C serum I use on my face. Letting your skin absorb a nice, rich serum on the days you don’t have to wear makeup is a must.

Favourite beauty bargain? 

Bio-Oil.

Favourite fragrance?  

Tom Ford Black Orchid .

Bright Pink Lipstick Day – Fact Box

• Pink Hope is Australia’s only genetic cancer charity developed to support families who face hereditary cancer. Bright Pink Lipstick Day, launched in 2012, raises money to help high-risk families to be educated, informed and be proactive, ultimately helping them take the right step to reduce the risk of cancer.
• Pink Hope founder and BRCA1 carrier, Krystal Barter, was 22 when she discovered she had the gene fault that gave her an 85% chance of developing breast cancer and up to 65% of ovarian cancer. Krystal’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had all fought breast cancer.
• In 2009, at age 25 and with two young sons, Krystal had a pre-emptive double mastectomy. Krystal is now a healthy 30-year-old Mum of three children and plans to have her ovarian preventative surgery in 2014 to make a final stand against her family’s cancer curse.
• In Australia, it’s believed nearly 250,000 men and women carry a hereditary gene that puts them at increased risk of breast, ovarian, prostate and other cancers.

How You Can Help Raise Money and Awareness 

Bright Pink Lipstick Day is supported by Revlon, who are releasing a limited edition shade called ‘Pink Hope’, on sale in September from Priceline, Target and selected pharmacies. Revlon will donate $25,000 from sales of the limited edition lipstick to Pink Hope.

Gather your girlfriends, pop on your brightest lipstick, pucker up, pout and pose for a good-cause selfie. Share your good work on social media using hashtags #brightpinklipstickday #pinkhopeaus #revlon and make a donation to Pink Hope. For more information on how to donate visit www.pinkhope.org.au